


Time Comes Around

by Tenryu_no_Hoko



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Academy, F/M, Gen, Magic, Politics, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:49:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23219536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tenryu_no_Hoko/pseuds/Tenryu_no_Hoko
Summary: Normal thirteen years olds usually aren't able to time travel, and in Romeo Conbolt's case, that was true all but once. In a successful attempt to stop his friends from ever going to Tenroujima, Romeo ends up stranded six years in the past. Now stuck in an entirely new timeline, he decides to make the most of it, which apparently includes catching the eyes of a certain princess.
Relationships: Chelia Blendy/Romeo Conbolt, Romeo Conbolt/Hisui E. Fiore
Kudos: 4





	1. Beginning of the End of the Beginning - Alpha Divergence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Eclipse Gate has been completed, and Romeo Conbolt prepares to take his first steps to changing history. His partner is less enthused with the idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Originally posted to Tales of the Romeoverse on 12/13/19, reposted 3/19/20, revamped 5/31/20)
> 
> 5/31/20: IMPORTANT UPDATES & NEW CONTENT. PLEASE READ.Hello! And welcome to my now very-not-new story, Time Comes Around!
> 
> This story was originally posted to Into the Romeoverse, then made into its own story later on. I, however, wasn't happy with what I ended up posting, so I decided to scrap all of that and put it back into Into the Romeoverse. As far as what this chapter is, this is an ALL-NEW chapter with all new content. I pretty much revamped the whole thing to make everything less confusing and get right into the real plot of the story.
> 
> This is certainly one of my more "out there" story ideas as far as my fanfics go. It's a time-travel based plot, so it's already confusing right from the get-go. Still, it's an idea I happen to like a lot, so I hope you do as well.
> 
> As for how Romeo and Hisui can get together, well, they'll end up the same age after the Time-Travel stuff goes down. I'll probably explain everyone's ages in the beginning of chapter three.
> 
> There will also be some RomeoXChelia going on in this story, including this chapter. How this ship will work in future chapters will also be explained in a future chapter, but for now, understand that it's more time-travel shenanigans.
> 
> Huge thanks to chaosphoenix123 for helping me with this chapter. Please go check out some of his stuff when you're done with this.
> 
> With all that said, I hope you enjoy the story!

**x790ɑ 07. 19. 23:51:42**

Deep below the depths of Crocus slept a hidden treasure. Something ancient, brand new, and waiting to be completed. Yet for hundreds of years, it remained dormant, deep below the surface of Earthland...

Until now…

"How're we doing on the Ethernano supply?"

A young boy, no older than thirteen years and one month, asked. He was dressed in a school uniform: the uniform of the Fiorian Royal Magic Academy, deep beneath which his "secret lab" was hidden. In his hands, he held a clipboard featuring a multitude of checklists, notes, and well-done drawings of Zodiac signs and magic circles. Pulling back his long, spiky, dark purple hair, his onyx eyes ran over each item on his list over and over, wanting to rush through them all but knowing that each will take time.

After a moment of silence, the boy asked again, "How am I on the Ethernano supply?"

"Oh," his assistant perked her head up. Like him, she was also dressed in a Royal Academy uniform. She held up a Lacrima Tablet with a variety of figures and graphs on it. However, while she was meant to be looking at those, all she could do was stare into the questioning, anxious sapphire eyes of her reflection. With a sigh, she let her pinkish-red hair fall over them. "It's for _love_ ," she whispered to herself.

"Ethernano containers are at one-hundred percent," she answered in an unenthused voice.

The boy huffed in annoyance. He was well aware of her half-heartedness towards the project, but he figured she'd at least stow it away when they were _this_ close to its completion. With just a little more time, _everything_ will change.

He looked around his makeshift laboratory. The only lighting in the dark and dingy halls came from the small, levitating fireballs places all around the room. Their lights shined against brand new desks covered in notes.

The fireballs also shined against one of those inspirational cat posters, seemingly left here by the former occupant of the dorm the boy had renovated. It featured a pair of cats inside a box. The cat on the left had a tear through it, and the text had faded over the centuries.

There were other trinkets scattered around, left by the former owner, but the boy didn't care much about those.

Rather, it was the former owner _himself_ that interested the boy. As well as what this place used to be.

Never in a thousand years would he have guessed that such a treasure could exist below the wannabe-infested rats' nest that was his own school. The ancient, long-forgotten Mildian Academy, home to what must've been the most incredible mages in all of history, was the perfect place for him to perform his operations.

It was here that he found an incredible secret, one that not even Zeref himself could complete. This wasn't even an assumption, given how the Black Wizard's name was written on the incomplete documents.

And how he was currently in Zeref's old dorm room.

It's not like the boy wasn't scared of the man. On the contrary, he was downright _terrified_ of him. Plenty of the things he found down here scared him half to death (The R-System and Thunder Palace come to mind).

But there were many more astounding things, such as his Magic Syphoners and Magic Amplifiers. His notes on magic, in general, were just sublime. This man's understanding of magic went far beyond anything any of his half-witted teachers could tell him.

And, of course, we can't forget about the crown jewel within Zeref's treasure trove... The one in which this whole story is centered around.

So while the dark mage himself did scare the young teen, to not acknowledge his genius would be _blasphemous_. For as wicked as Zeref's heart may have been, his mind was incredible. The boy found it a shame that these research notes had just been left here to collect dust. Imagine how far magic and technology would have progressed if these had been found sooner!

But he supposed that's why he was here: to remedy that. He had no big plans beyond his initial goals (not exactly like he _could_ have any), but if he _were_ to do anything after this, he hopes to find a way to spread this knowledge of magic so others may have it in the new future.

However, he can focus on his new future _in_ the new future. Right now, he has to stay in the present.

The boy returned to his checklist.

"How's the machine looking?" he asked in a neutral voice, "Has all of the maintenance been done?"

The girl nodded. "Yep." She sighed, lowering her Lacrima tablet. "I even polished it for you, so it's nice and ready."

"Thanks." The edges of his lips twitched upwards, but he didn't dare look at her. He knew what face she was making.

"Romeo." Getting into this argument never worked before. She knew it wouldn't work now. But she had to try. "Do you really need to do this?"

The fire mage's fists clenched. "Of course I do!" He finally faced her, eyes burning. "Everything I've worked for, everything my family has suffered for, has been for this!" His hand landed on his chest. "I can save them! I can undo-" He gestured to everything around him. "-all of this!

"And I can make everything even better!" He continued, turning back away from her. "Fairy Tail won't just be on top again. I can make it so they're known around the world. And me, I'll get to learn magic directly from my idol!" He grinned excitedly. "Can you imagine it, Chelia?"

The Sky God Slayer smiled slightly. This was the reason she decided to help in the first place. She knew where his heart was from the start, but she couldn't help getting tangled up in this mess.

Her smile faltered, however, because she knew he was missing the bigger picture.

"I have imagined it," she responded, "And I'm not really sure it's a good idea."

Romeo's head snapped backward. "Not a good- How can you say that?!" He angrily questioned. "Just imagine what we could accomplish if this works!"

"What _you_ could accomplish," she corrected him. Despite not being a fire mage, her glare was searing. Romeo, however, was immune to these particular flames by now. "Are you even _thinking_ about anyone else?"

The boy was taken aback. He placed a hand on his chest. "I _am_ thinking about everyone else. Don't you want them back, too? You said yourself that the world might be better with them!"

"But what if it ends up _worse!_ " Chelia yelled. Tears poked at her eyes. "What if this does something you can't predict. What if we change something that should _never_ have been changed."

"I won't." The fire mage stated.

"You can't know that…" she whispered, "Think about it. Really _think_ about it. What could happen to Fiore if the timeline changes? To Ishgar? To the world?" Her voice became dry and meek. "To us…?"

Romeo huffed. " _'Us?'_ " he repeated, "Chelia, this goes so much farther than _'us._ ' I'm talking about people's lives!"

"So am I!" she shouted. "What about my life?" She slammed her hand against her chest. "Don't you think there's things I'd like to use this Gate for, too? Family _I'd_ like to get back?!"

But Romeo stopped listening. He turned away from her once again and started walking down the ancient school's vast corridors. The boy didn't bother to look back at her. Even if he did, she would be nothing but a speck in his tunneled vision. As he walked, he checked over his checklist one last time.

"Where are you going?!" Chelia yelled after him.

"To the Gate," he answered bluntly, "We both know this dumb list is just a formality."

The boy took a quick glance back at her. "You can either join me or stay here." He resumed walking. "Doesn't matter either way."

The Sky God Slayer hesitated a moment, reaching out to him. She knew damn well that she had the physical and magical strength to just stop him, carry him back up to the surface, make this whole stupid school cave in on itself, and end this gods forsaken project forever. It's not like she hadn't done something similar on all those nights he spent studying himself to death back when he still gave a shit about school. Romeo would go back to the surface kicking and screaming, but he'd still be _there_. The world could continue on _as it is._

So why did she decide to follow him?

She caught up to him without much issue. They were going to the top of the dormitory, or at least the highest level that hadn't been fully caved in. What was caved in had been picked away at by the two young mages, leaving behind only slash marks and glassy areas on the cavern walls.

Along said walls were a series of twelve large lacrima containing incredibly high concentrations of ethernano. Each one was placed neatly in a circle, all equidistant from each other. There was no real reason for there to be exactly twelve of them; they could've had more, or they could've had less, but less of them were less likely to work. Romeo simply found the number to be fitting. Twelve hours on a clock, twelve Zodiac Spirits.

Filling up each of the lacrima had been the most challenging part of the whole endeavor. Building everything else was surprisingly simple, and their two brains together could easily comprehend the majority of Zeref's spells and equations (they were the top two students in the Academy for a reason, after all). It was just getting the _fuel_ for the damn thing that took such a long time. And the hilarious thing about that was that the more they waited, the more fuel they had to get!

Luckily, there was an endless supply of energy right above their heads. The Fiorian Royal Magic Academy might be full of preppy mages only there because daddy's credit card said they could be, but those preppy mages were still filled with tons of magic power. Add in the fact that they're constantly exerting said magic power in classes and sparring matches, and it becomes _really_ easy for the two of them to just siphon off any excess magic into their machine. The students above would hardly even notice it.

Romeo admired all of the work he'd put into creating this power source. Realistically speaking, it wasn't the most efficient power source in the world. But since he was limited on supplies and had yet to figure out how to convert solar energy into ethernano, he felt proud of what he could accomplish.

But of course, the power source wasn't actually the thing worth admiring here. No, the real _pièce de résistance_ here was what lay in the center of the room, hooked up to the lacrima by a multitude of tubes and wires.

It was a jade-colored metal platform, risen about a foot off of the floor. All twelve Zodiac signs were inscribed along the side of it, and on top of it was the very same thing that hung in the sky that very night:

An eclipse.

Once again, when it came to building the Eclipse Gate, Romeo lacked many of the necessary supplies. He might've been in a rich and preppy school, but he only got there through his former teacher's recommendations. The boy himself didn't have a jewel to his name. Not to mention how part of the reason he was rushing this project along was that his guild was tanking financially. There was probably only a year left until they went under.

However, all _that_ meant was that he had to improvise. Sure, it was a far cry from the majesty of Zeref's initial Eclipse Gate designs, but the boy was willing to sacrifice the aesthetic so long as his Gate functioned. The whole thing will be erased anyway if it works, so why should he give a damn if it looks pretty?

It was at that point that he started taking off his uniform. He undid the constricting neck-tie and unbuttoned the stupid vest and dress shirt, happily prying himself away from the unfashionable garments. This left his top half exposed, revealing a series of Zodiac tattoos along his muscular arms and back, as well as a circle with an inverted, horizontally bisected triangle on his toned chest.

This was the other half of his rudimentary Gate.

A bit of drool fell onto Chelia's lips. She sucked it back in once she realized Romeo had started talking to her again.

"You understand what I'm going to do, right?" he asked, neatly folding his discarded clothes and putting them off to the side.

Chelia nodded. "You're going to turn yourself into an Eclipse Gate," she solemnly explained, "You're going to destroy your body in the hopes that your soul can go back and possess your younger self." A finger pointed at the mark on his chest. "That magic circle is meant to help you connect with your younger self."

"Mostly correct." Romeo nodded. "I don't know about the whole 'soul' thing, but I will be sending my mind back to take control of my young self, yes." He paused, beginning his walk over towards the Gate. "As for my body's destruction, that's an unfortunate but necessary step. For Ankhseram to know I understand the value of life, I need to give up my own. This way, he won't see any need to inflict me with his Curse."

As a side note, he added, "Plus, by converting my body into energy for the Gate, it gives me the final push I'll need to properly 'break into' the year x784."

"Where you'll go back and save your friends…" The Sky God Slayer gripped her arm. She couldn't bear to look anywhere but the ground. "...And change everything."

"Exactly," Romeo smirked. He glanced back at her. "Now come on, let's get everything set up. Last night on Earthland; I wanna go out with a bang."

Chelia nodded. She walked off to a corner to a room, finding a small table with a box of twelve golden keys on it.

Obviously, these weren't the real Golden Celestial Spirit Keys; two of the necessary Keys were in the possession of some Sabertooth girl, the Capricorn key was gods knew where, and the rest had vanished along with Tenroujima. But they didn't need to be the real keys, either. All they needed to be was strong enough to pry open a gate into the Celestial Spirit world. From there, Romeo and the Eclipse Gate would do the rest.

The Sky God Slayer grabbed the keys and walked back to the platform, on which Romeo was now standing. He watched her as she placed each pseudo-key on the floor in front of its respective Zodiac sign.

The boy grinned. In his hand, he held a big, red button. He may not have cared much for aesthetics, but classics are classics for a reason. "Chelia," he called to her as she finished putting down the last key, "Is everything ready? Once this button gets pushed-" He waved the button in his hand. "-we're going to have to start immediately. There can be no hesitation or setbacks." His voice lowered. "I only get one shot at this. We need to make it perfect."

Chelia grimaced, knowing he only had one shot at this regardless of if the Gate worked or not. They fail, then odds are the two of them will be shipped to some juvenile facility for the massive property destruction and numerous sins they intended to commit by changing history. And of course, if they succeed, Romeo ends up changing history and erasing their current one…

...Erasing himself and everyone else in the process.

She winced at the idea. Romeo was ready to sacrifice himself entirely for the ones he loved. Not just his life, but also his memories and his very existence. Whatever "Romeo" came after him in the new timeline would never truly be _him_. It wouldn't be _her_ Romeo. One would think sacrifice like this would be the highest form of love, so why did it leave such a pit in her stomach?

But regardless of how she may have felt, she set those feelings aside and nodded. "Yes, everything is ready. We've gathered enough ethernano, the keys are in place, the eclipse should be in a few minutes, and the Gate should be fully functional."

"Good." Romeo grinned, tossing her the button. "Charges primed?"

Chelia nodded. "Locked and loaded." She smiled. She supposed if there was one good thing to come out of this, it was that she'd be able to see his fire magic one last time. And it was in her favorite color (aside from purple, of course).

The boy bowed his head, gesturing towards her. "Then by all means." He looked up at the ceiling of the cavern. Small, metal cylinders were attached to the top of it. "I always loved fireworks."

The girl sighed, looking down. "So did I…" She then looked back up at the ceiling with him and pressed the button. Everything kicked off.

Jade flames erupted from the metal cylinders. The tiny green embers licked at the stone ceiling, melting and absorbing it into the acidic flames until they grew into a massive jade inferno. The hungry flames didn't stop until they pierced the surface. An enormous hole was created from their carnage, allowing moonlight to pour through.

Chelia had been right. The eclipse was just starting. They had until the end of it to make this work.

Of course, the only real timer they were on was how long it'd take for someone to notice the giant hole in the Academy's sparring grounds. They knew no one would be there at this time of night, but still, a giant hole emerging where there wasn't previously a giant hole would definitely draw some attention. The Magic Council might even be brought in, and then they'd be in some _very_ deep shit.

Luckily, Romeo had already gone ahead and started the process. The keys floated around him, glowing and spinning around him in a ring of light. The Zodiac tattoos on his body lit up as well. Energy pulsed between Romeo and the Gate, the two entities merging into one as magic flowed to-and-fro between them.

Green energy emerged from Romeo's chest. A ball of light shaped itself into crystal as images appeared on it. A crowd of people manifested within the orb, boarding a large ship never to return; the image of a pink-haired man with a bright white scarf stood out the most.

The image on the crystal orb then began rewinding like a Lacrima Player. It showed early that day, earlier that week, and earlier that month. Romeo focused in on the point a few weeks before the ship was set to sail.

Red light shined from the eclipsed moon. Golden swirls of energy surrounded the boy as the Gate opened, swallowing the boy whole.

He could feel all of time flowing through him. Every cell of every muscle in his body became charged with magic never before known to him. A foreign heartbeat pulsed in rhythm with his own as blood that wasn't his flowed through his veins. Every thought ever thought and every dream yet to be dreamt pounded in his head. He could see all of it: past, present, and future. Every possibility in every timeline.

His skin began to melt away. The hairs on his head turned to dust. Even his vision within this timeline was starting to fade. He screamed out as every atom in his body became undone.

All the while, Chelia held herself back. She knew this would happen to him, she told herself. They planned for this to happen. But that didn't stop her from shrinking back in fear, feeling her dinner crawling its way back up her throat. The girl closed her eyes in the hope that it would go away.

But it didn't. His screams still rang out in her ears.

Gritting her teeth, Chelia opened her eyes. She reached to the boy with one arm and summoned her healing magic. Most of his skin and part of his right eye had been burnt away, but the massive quantity of magic in the air aided her in restoring him.

But despite healing being her domain, it was still a losing battle for her. She couldn't keep this up. Eventually, the Gate _will_ take him.

The Gate sparked and flashed. Bright balls of light shot up and tore up the sky. Cracks started to form within the base of the platform. Chelia watched helplessly as it seemed to sap more and more life out of her dearest friend.

"Romeo!" she called out to him, "We need to stop!"

But he never replied. Though his body had been mostly restored, it had become translucent. He was slipping into the Ravines of Time on his course to the past. Chelia knew that in just a minute, there would be no return for him.

The Sky God Slayer ripped her healing hand away from the boy. Black winds swirled around an enclosed fist. Muttering a faint, "I'm sorry," she launched her attack at the Gate.

A final cry of pain, emerging from neither teen, rang out. On that day, July 20, x790, the world of Earthland as they knew it reached an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please be sure to leave some kudos and especially comments. I'd love to know what you all think of this story.
> 
> And I hope to see you all in the next chapter!


	2. Middle of the End of the Beginning - Omega Convergence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter the Ravines of Time. We've got memories, foreshadowing, and pissed-off deities!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! It's been a little while, but now I'm back with chapter 2 of Time Comes Around. Thank you to everyone who's supported the story so far. 
> 
> Also, thanks to chaosphoenix123 for looking over the chapter for me. Go check out his stuff when you get the chance.
> 
> Since I last updated, I have changed the formatting for this story a little bit, showing the dates and times at the beginning of each chapter and/or major scene jumps or timeskips. The reasoning for this is pretty simple: since this is a time travel story, it's important to keep track of when certain events happen so there can be a consistent timeline(s). So I figure adding the dates and times to certain places will help both you and me keep track of all that.
> 
> The way it's set up, it shows Year, Month, Day, Military Hour, Minute, and Second. You may also notice a greek letter next to the Year, which will be explained next chapter.
> 
> With all that out of the way, here's the next chapter!

**x∞ ∞. ∞. ∞:∞:∞**

When one thinks of destiny, what they're truly perceiving is the universal law of cause and effect.

You make choices based on prior outcomes. For every choice, there is a decision. For every decision, there is an action. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Then there is a new outcome, what you might call "consequences," the results that you humans always despise and want to change. In the face of these consequences, you make a new choice. And the cycle continues evermore.

" **It's truly commendable that, even in the face of this, you humans would derive the concept of 'free will.'"**

Romeo's eyes crept open. His head swayed and his body burned, power surging through his veins. It left him petrified in place, able to do little more than twitch his muscles and turn his head. He felt his own heartbeat pulsing to the rhythm of a clock, ticking away every second he was in this strange place.

The boy could guess what this sensation was. Time, in its purest form, flowing right through him, ready to bend to his will. He knew the energy was enough to send him to the year x784 as planned, but he started to wonder what _other_ things this power could be used for. What other places he could go to, times he could visit, events he could change. Looking into the sun and moon on his hands, glowing brightly like the rest of his tattoos, he felt the whole world resting in his palms.

His breath quickened. Fingers twitching, he lifted his head back up, and a familiar figure entered his vision.

"Chelia?" he asked, his mind still swimming as he felt the whole world hurtling around him. He blinked, and his vision and mind focused back in. "Chelia?!"

The girl did not answer him. She stood still, almost statuesque, with her eyes obscured in shadow. Taking a second look, he didn't even believe her to be Chelia. The woman before him looked similar enough, but she was several years older than the Chelia he was accustomed to, to the point where he could almost mistake her for Sherry. But her trademark pigtails and guildmark on her thigh told him otherwise.

The fire mage tilted his head. "Chelia? Is that you?" he questioned, "Is this… the future?" Shaking his head, he immediately refuted the idea. "No. No, that can't be right!" He smacked his temples. "Zeref's formulas were definitely for traveling into the _past._ He didn't even bother with forward time travel.

"But if that's the case…" He put his fingers to his chin, taking a sideways glance at the mystery woman. "Who are you?"

But his eyes reached just beyond her, into the inky black void he now realized he was in.

Looking around, he only saw miles and miles of emptiness. The boy wasn't even sure he could describe it as being nothing, for the feeling of this realm felt like the absence of "being" entirely.

All that could be felt was the strange pulse below his feet. Daring a glance down, he saw a red mass of pulsating energy, beating like a heart.

"It's a star." He realized. "It's a collapsing star... About to become a black hole!" The discovery would've fascinated him had he not been standing _far_ too close to it. His eyes were entrained on the dying star as its energy continued to radiate outward. Yet, for as massive and as unstable as it appeared to be, it didn't appear to _change_ all that much. Moreover, he didn't appear to be falling into it, which was an even better revelation.

Letting out a sigh, his eyes returned to "Chelia." Only now, he realized that the two of them weren't alone. Others were floating in the void with them, all standing in a perfect circle in states similar to the woman beside him. None of them moved, none of them even breathed, and all of them had eyes hidden in darkness.

Several of them were familiar to him. The first figures he saw were his Natsu-nii, Lucy-nee, Wendy-nee, and Master Makarov! The sight of them made the boy's heart race. He nearly rushed over to them, but his own petrified state prevented him from doing so.

The boy let out a whimper, then a malcontent sigh. He shook his head. ' _They're dead,'_ he reminded himself, ' _This must all be an illusion of some kind.'_

It was a bitter conclusion, but a seemingly accurate one, as the next person he laid eyes on looked like _another_ Chelia just across from him.

Now he was certain this was a delusion of some kind. This second Chelia looked much more like the one he was used to; same age, same Academy uniform, same everything. But there was still something off about this one as well. Something about her demeanor that he couldn't quite recognize in his Chelia. It took him a moment, but he figured out what was wrong;

She was smiling.

His heart skipped a beat. It wasn't some fleeting smile, either; one that would appear only in momentary joy. It was that passionate smile she wore when she talked about love, or magic, or her guild, or her dreams, or anything or anyone she held close to her heart.

It had been some time since he'd seen that smile. He'd almost forgotten what it looked like. It had to have been… probably around the third time she tried to stop the Eclipse Gate project that he'd seen it last.

What felt like a hand clenched at his heart. He quickly pried his eyes away to see the other figures.

The rest were people he didn't quite know. Or at the very least, he wasn't personally familiar with. There was a burly, dark-skinned man in armor with a rather stern look on his face; a woman with short, golden hair and shadow of a dark, powerful humanoid figure behind her; and a stout, elderly gentleman that Romeo recognized to be the king.

What the latter one was doing here stuped Romeo, even if this whole ordeal was an illusion. As did the presence of the other two figures to a lesser extent. So he decided to move on from that for now since he still had two more to address.

The penultimate figure was yet another he didn't recognize, yet the sight of her made his heart rate quicken slightly and cheeks pinken. She was a young, fair-skinned girl around his age. Neck-length jade hair adorned her head like a crown. Her attire mainly consisted of casual clothing; a rather plain-looking skirt, some sneakers, a t-shirt, and a hoodie he himself would probably wear. Though the boy didn't know who she was, he couldn't help but feel that there was something important about her.

The final figure, rounding out the eleven—twelve counting himself—floating aimlessly through the void was… _himself._

A younger version of himself, probably no older than six. He was the only one whose eyes were not hidden away, who wasn't standing completely still. Though he remained in a single spot, his eyes darted around everywhere, like he couldn't actually see where he was. He seemed to be saying something, but what it was, Romeo couldn't hear.

Romeo tilted his head. In a sudden, jerky motion, his younger copy did the same. He raised an eyebrow, and his younger self did that as well. Curiously, he looked down and saw a green thread of light emerging from his chest, connecting him to his doppelganger via their magic containers.

The boy snickered. Then that snicker grew into a chuckle. Then it became a full-on maniacal laugh.

It _worked._

It _worked!_ He'd done it! Though the process was not yet complete, he'd connected himself to his past self! Using his very soul as a conduit, he'd found a means of sliding his consciousness through time!

He took another look at his hand. The skin had already melted from his flesh, and that flesh was quickly giving way to bone. His very form was being converted into energy, into that final push he needed to cross the temporal barrier into the past. He wanted to laugh, but that laughter quickly gave way to agony. But it wasn't like the pain he felt mattered, anyway. Once the process was complete, everything would fall into place.

However, despite the agony of his body being destroyed, he could still feel that something was… _wrong._ For looked at his hand again; sure enough, it was being converted into the magical energy needed to complete his voyage. But just as his skin, flesh, and bone vanished, it would return to him. Some force was preventing him from being completely destroyed, and therefore _preventing_ him from possessing his younger form!

And he knew exactly—rather, _who_ —was doing it.

"Dammit!" Romeo yelled, "Chelia! I demand you stop this at once!"

" **Quite the controlling one,** _ **aren't**_ **you now?"** a voice laughed, " **She won't hear you."**

The boy jumped at the sudden intrusion. The scenery around him had changed, and he now found himself standing upon the face of a clock, specifically over the twelve, with the hour hand pointing directly at him. Surrounding him were various images—various moments of his life, framed in mist to create a living collage. He saw moments from his past; his own birth, growing up, being with Fairy Tail, meeting Totomaru, meeting Chelia, and building the Eclipse Gate. But he also saw visions of his future, a timeline where his Gate fails, and he is stranded in his original timeline; him being incapacitated from the failed Gate, him graduating from the Academy, him becoming S-Class, him looking at Chelia in a white dress…

The boy shook his head at the thought. At this point in the process, the idea wasn't even worth entertaining. That timeline would never be! His plan _will_ succeed!

Most of the illusory figures that had surrounded him had also vanished. The only one that remained was his younger self, standing opposite to him on the clock with the minute hand pointing directly at him. The younger copy's movements still mirrored that of his own, and the two were still connected by the thin string of light.

But balancing delicately atop that string of light, right above the clock's center, was something… _else._ A shadow of a humanoid form, with golden magic swirling around it from its right eye, which was the only distinct feature it seemed to possess aside from its wide, grinning mouth.

" **It seems you've tampered with the natural order of things, Romeo Conbolt."** Its voice sounded young but ancient, and containing great multitudes, as though it were overlaying the voices of everyone who has lived and will ever live.

Romeo took a step back, heart racing as the thread of light between him and his double grew taut. He felt the edge of the clock face, glancing back to see nothing but void.

The being snickered. " **Careful, now,"** it said, playfully jumping on the line while still maintaining perfect balance, " **You wouldn't want to be lost in the Ravines, would you?"**

"'Ravines?'" Romeo repeated. His head moved from side to side, carefully analyzing his surroundings one more time. Eyes lighting up in epiphany, he slammed a fist into his open palm. "The Ravines of Time!

"I thought they were just a myth," the boy gushed, "An old Mildian legend explaining how their Time God could exist across all of time. But they're _real!_ " His eyes lit up in excitement. This had to be among the greatest magical discoveries of the century, and he alone got to bear witness to it.

" **So you're familiar with my home, then? For it is true that I can watch the entirety of time from this domain."** The being cocked its head. Its wide, unceasing grin reflected the boy's face in its teeth. " **But if you know that, then pray tell, might you know who** _ **I**_ **am?"**

The boy's face hardened. He found himself glaring at the entity. "Of course. If these are truly the Ravines of Time, then you must be the guardian of time…" He glared. "Chronos."

" **The one and many,"** Chronos laughed.

"And if I had to take a wild guess, I'd say you're here to stop me?" Romeo questioned.

" **Time flows in but one direction. It is not up to me to stop its flow, only guide it."** The being stepped closer toward the time traveler, never failing to keep itself suspended on the light string. " **But I'm afraid the direction** _ **you're**_ **going in is quite dangerous.**

" **Heed my warning, child of man. If you succeed in your goal..."** It stopped a foot away from the boy, bowing its head down suddenly to put its face mere inches from here. " **You will only bring about more misery than you can ever imagine."** It turned its head to the side.

Romeo followed its gaze back to the images of his past and future. He saw all of them being blotted out one by one, swallowed in a white mist. All of them vanished into nonexistence. The last one to go was a vision of Chelia and all his friends at Fairy Tail, smiling and laughing together.

"So what?" the boy retorted, looking back at the entity, "I already knew that I'd vanish if I completed this mission. Why would that stop me now?"

" **Oh, child,"** it softly spoke, " **You truly understand nothing.**

" **Allow me to return you to your time,"** Chronos continued, " **Your Head leads you astray, but I know the Heart can return you to the path of light. Let yourself be redeemed of this sin, and all shall be forgiven."**

Romeo chuckled. "No thanks. Not exactly the religious type."

The being frowned. It lifted its head away from Romeo. " **Very well."** Its hand outstretched. " **Then be lost in the void of eternity."**

A beam of golden light blasted out of Chronos's hand towards the boy. What remained of the teenager's body writhed in agony. He could feel his connection to his past self slipping away as the strand of light grew thinner; soon, his lifeline to the past would be gone completely, leaving him lost in time. The boy screamed out as his very being was undone.

But just as Chronos shot his destructive light, the healing force Romeo condemned earlier kicked into full blast. The boy could feel it combating the entity's magic and _winning._ He wondered if it was due to the god-killing properties of his partner's magic, but he didn't really have the time to dwell on the idea.

"Ha! You see?!" Romeo grinned, his body flickering as it slowly reassembled itself. "Even you can't stop me from saving my friends!"

Frowning, Chronos retracted his hand shooting magic. " **Then all is lost."**

The boy raised an eyebrow at that. Before he could even begin to question what that meant, a loud, thunderous _CRACK_ ing sound erupted through the Ravines. A wave of black winds came crashing down, washing away Cronos and shattering the clock face. The stream of light serving as Romeo's lifeline snapped, and he fell backward into darkness.

* * *

**x784β 12. 16. 03:32:16**

Waking up for real this time, Romeo found himself in a nearly unlit alleyway, tucked between two large brick buildings with some dumpsters right next to him. The only light sources he had were the light of the stars and the nearby streetlights.

He groaned as he tried to get up. His entire right side—the side he'd been laying on—ached like hell. Touching that side of his head near his eye, he could even feel a little blood leaking out.

"Damn, must've had a pretty shitty landing," he half-laughed, half coughed.

A frigid wind stung his skin. Glancing downwards, he realized his clothes, as well as anything else he'd previously had on his person, hadn't survived the trip. The thought didn't concern him too much, though. It appeared to still be nighttime, and looking around, he recognized the building with the dumpster by it to be the old thrift shop that used to be a few blocks from his father's house. With any luck, he'd be able to fish some old pants out of their trash and use them for the time being.

Romeo stepped towards the dumpster, about to do just that, when he froze.

He looked over his body once again. Much of his skin had been covered in large, pink blotches. At first, he mistook them for burns, but taking a closer look and stepping more into the light, he realized it was more like the top layers of his skin had been completely stripped away. Or _rather_ , his skin in those areas had failed to grow back completely.

Luckily, aside from his eye injury, all of his wounds appeared to only be skin-deep. He felt no internal pain (in fact, much of his insides felt _better_ than what they did when he leaped through the Gate), and miraculously, his tattoos had somehow survived the process.

But there was a much more pressing matter at hand.

"Why am I _me?!_ " he yelled, pacing around the alley and not giving a damn if anyone heard, "This isn't how this was supposed to go!" He gripped the sides of his head, an act that told him a good amount of his hair didn't survive the trip, either. "I'm supposed to be in my younger body! I was supposed to take control of it when I made it… to the… past…"

The boy perked his head up. For in all his confusion and frustration, he failed to register one simple, very important fact;

It was freezing out.

It had been _summer_ when he entered the Eclipse Gate, but now, it had to be below thirty _at least_. He was protected from the cold somewhat due to having a Fire Mage's naturally high body temperature (though not as protected as he figured he'd be. Something he may have to look into later), which he was thankful for, given his lack of attire. But if it was _this_ cold, that could only mean one thing:

It was winter.

He, Romeo Conbolt, at the age of thirteen and one month, had successfully traveled back in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Romeo has successfully gone back in time! He's naked, in the completely wrong time and place, and without most of his magic power, but he's a time traveler!
> 
> Now, I do understand that Romeo's whole plan with his time travel operation may be a bit confusing, but I do plan on elaborating it more in the next chapter.
> 
> And of course, can't leave out Chronos and the Ravines of Time! What did Chronos want? What was he trying to stop? And who were the people Romeo saw in the Ravines? More answers to come as the story continues!
> 
> Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Time Comes Around. If you did, then please be sure to leave kudos and a comment!


	3. End of the End of the Beginning - Beta Emergence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Times are a changin'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back at it again with Chapter 3!
> 
> I'd like to thank everyone who has supported the story thus far. I'm glad to see you're enjoying it, especially since now we're approaching the end of what can effectively be considered the prologue.
> 
> I'd also like to give special thanks to chaosphoenix123 for helping me with this chapter. Be sure to check out some of his stuff when you get the chance, as he also makes some great Romeo content.
> 
> With all that out of the way, on to the chapter!

**X784β 12. 16. 03:26:11AM**

**Magic Council Fiore Branch;**

Night shift duty was the worst.

That was the sentiment held by one of the many nameless Council grunts meant to watch over and govern the use of magic in Fiore. Well, he did _have_ a name; Iyr, if you were curious. A humble Amphibinoid (' _Or "frog person" to some of the more_ culturally insensitive _around here,'_ he grunted, ' _What? Do they think our species doesn't have a name or something?'_ ) trying to make ends meet for his tadpoles at home. But as far as the larger machinations surrounding him were concerned, he was but another cog in the machine.

Probably why he, along with his many other amphibious cohorts, were given such a menial job. They were meant to watch over a series of monitors and radar systems, all wired to detect any unusual gatherings of magic power around Fiore. But though he complained about it, it really wasn't _that_ bad. A little boring and tedious at times, since rarely anything ever happened that was worth raising the alarm about. Sometimes they were lucky enough to see some potential world-ending events, like that whole Nirvana thing or that Tower of Heaven incident a while back. But for the most part, it was just sitting by a few screens, watching nothing.

That is, of course, unless you end up drawing the short straw and have to watch over... _the southeastern sector._

And guess who drew that short straw this week?

Iyr groaned just thinking about it. _That_ sector could hardly go a _day_ without _some_ kind of incident. It's gotten to the point where the Rune Knights working in that sector (as well as the poor Amphibinoids looking over it from Era) had to be on constant alert, ready to move out at a moment's notice.

He remembered meeting a Knight who worked in that sector once, a sweet young woman from the Hargeon district. The two bumped into each other after she got through what seemed to be a rather rough evaluation of her squadron, and he offered to get her some coffee. Little did he know that the coffee shop he took her to would end up catching a small fire in the kitchen.

He swore that the _second_ that fire alarm went off, she stood up from her seat, whipped out her Knight-Administrated Magic Staff, and bolted out the door while cursing the name, " _FAIRY TAIL_!" She made it about three blocks before she realized her mistake.

Thinking about that made him feel like his job wasn't as bad as he initially made it out. Sure, having to pay constant attention to a stupid monitor (especially now since there was apparently some secret agent in the area he had to keep an eye on) was more than a little straining, but at least he wasn't actually the one having to _deal_ with it. He just had to press a quick keyboard shortcut, deploying a few Knights to the area, and his job was done.

Though the more he thought about it, the more he realized this being the nightshift may actually be his saving grace. After all, he may have been watching a guild of destructive assholes, but they at least seemed to be a guild of destructive assholes _who sleep!_

And as an Amphibinoid who needed sleep, that was good enough for him. It's not like there had been much activity this night anyway. Catching a few 'z's wouldn't hurt anyone.

Iyr kicked his flippers up on the control pane, letting out a yawn as his eyes blinked to a close. No, it wouldn't hurt anyone if he just… got… some sleep…

...

…

…

_**"LEVEL 10 THREAT DETECTED! LEVEL 10 THREAT DETECTED!"** _

His eyes shot open. All around him, alarms blared and red lights flashed. His fingers instinctively scrambled over to the ' _Ctrl-F-T'_ keys until he saw that this was something _else_ entirely.

And when he realized what it was, his jaw dropped.

* * *

**04:14:36AM**

**Mercurius Royal Palace, Crocus;**

"A large spike in magic power, centered on the inland side of Hargeon," the large, buff man read aloud from the document. Nearly his whole body was clad in armor except his head, revealing his dark skin and wavy black hair with thick sideburns connected into a matching beard. "At around three-thirty-two AM, the Magic Council's radar system detected a level of magic power equivalent to half of Etherion. However, just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished. There is also no obvious destruction resulting from the magic spike, making tracking its exact point of origin extremely difficult."

"But it also means none of the citizens in the area have been hurt that we know of," the preteen girl replied. Her jade hair and pajamas were both disheveled, evidence of her slumber that had been disturbed moments before. But make no mistake; with the serious and alert look in her eyes, she was completely awake.

She stared down into the communication lacrima at her bedside. "However, that doesn't mean there were _no_ casualties. Alert the Royal Guardsmen in the area, and tell them to be on the lookout for suspicious individuals and any more magic spikes."

"Your father is already on it, Princess," the bearded man assured from his end of the communication link.

Hisui nodded. "Then tell me, Arcadios…" She stood up from her bed. Her size and physical strength had nothing on the man in front of her, but the action still caused him to step back. "Why did you have to wake me up to tell me this, and through my personal comm line no less? If my father is already taking action, couldn't it have waited until morning?"

Arcadios gulped. "Well, Princess, there is reason to believe this incident could aid in that project you informed me about a few months ago…"

"Which one?" The princess asked innocently, putting a finger to her chin and pretending to be deep in thought, "Could it be the one you called 'ludicrous?'" She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

The man sighed, but his face hardened back up soon after. "It may not be so ludicrous after all…"

* * *

**Hargeon;**

It was truly amazing what stuff you could find in the garbage. Romeo knew this already, having taken more than a few old pieces of equipment from the Academy's dumpsters to use for his Eclipse Gate. But really, the stuff people would just throw away?

He'd initially just gone to grab some clothing, which he did to great success. He'd managed to snag a pair of green sweatpants, a grey t-shirt, a red jacket, and a pair of brown work boots. Most of the garments were torn or carrying a few obvious stains, and the hoodie and sweatpants were a little loose on him, but otherwise, they felt like something he'd wear to the arcade whenever he went with Chelia.

His face drooped, and his heart felt a slight pain. But he shook his head and ignored the feeling.

Apart from the clothing, he'd found a few other interesting treasures amongst the trash. Some outdated game consoles, a few games to go with them, old lacrima appliances, and a cool lighter.

None of it was of any use to him for obvious reasons, but he did decide to pocket the lighter. The Gate must've drained his magic pretty thoroughly since he was having trouble starting a flame on his own, so he had to use some mild pyromancy to get whatever he could out of the lighter's remaining fire lacrima. His hands hovered over the small flame, growing it to about the size of a tennis ball so he could use it for a makeshift heat and light source.

This was probably the only lucky thing to happen on this date. For everything else was pretty much going to shit.

Now, don't get him wrong. Him being one of, if not _the only_ mage in existence to achieve true time travel was an astounding feat in itself. If he had the time, he'd want to write down his findings and pass them on to someone who could make good use of them. But that was the exact (and admittedly ironic) problem: he was _out of time!_

And because of that, Romeo could safely say his plan was _completely_ shot. Thanks to his so-called "partner" messing everything up, he had been completely off-target for the place and time he was supposed to land in.

His initial plan involved him taking the body of his younger self. By connecting to his younger self's magic container, he could effectively create a "link" across time to allow for stable backward time travel (' _Something Zeref himself even struggled with,'_ he grinned). And since he figured his body would be converted into magic to power the Gate, he'd use the connected magic containers to fuse his consciousness with his younger self's.

This was all meant to happen several weeks ago, sometime around when Makarov first _announced_ the whole S-Class Trial deal. He'd land somewhere around that time and warn everyone of the dangers to come. And to confirm his story and that he really was from the future, he'd expose Mest for the lying asshole he was. Once that happened, their false memories would vanish, and they'd all realize he knew something he shouldn't and _hopefully_ believe everything he said.

And if that failed, he'd simply have to go on faith that his family would believe him.

But from there, it was just a matter of warning them all of the coming danger of Grimoire Heart and Acnologia. The ideal would be that no one goes to Tenrou _period_ , but knowing his friends, that wasn't likely. So he figured he'd warn them and the Magic Council too so they could all prepare for when the Baram Alliance member and Black Dragon do appear. And hopefully, with that preparation, they'd come out victorious.

After that, the future would be changed, and he along with it. His most likely guess was that he'd just cease to be outright, though there was the possibility of his consciousness melding with his younger form permanently, allowing him to relive the years he'd lost with his friends...

But now he could just completely fucking forget that! Because not only did he land _in the wrong fucking city,_ but it was also _the day they were set to leave for Tenrou!_

Warning his friends now would only mean they'd rush even quicker to their deaths. He loved his family, truly, but he was well aware of how reckless and borderline suicidal they could be at times. If they learned about Grimoire Heart and Acnologia, they'd do everything in their power to stop them, even knowing they couldn't win. Hell, they might be even _more_ eager to stop them than they were in the original timeline with his forewarning, believing they could somehow ambush a literal force of nature.

The fire mage stomped along the pavement of the city's sidewalks, his eyes sharpened on the path ahead. He took a sharp breath in before letting it all out. Rage was good for Fire Magic, but not delicate operations such as this.

At the very least, he has a few hours, which means a few hours to come up with a new plan and put it into action. Some of it he'd have to use to trek to Hargeon's docks as he was doing now, since Magnolia was now out of the question and it was now his best bet for preventing the S-Class group from leaving.

And looking at the flame in his hand, he figured he had just the idea.

* * *

**X784ɑ 12. 16. 07:44:21AM**

**Hargeon Port;**

_The S-Class Trial participants had all gathered around the ship destined to lead one of them to greatness. Makarov and the other S-Class mages of the guild had already done a full sweep of the ship, meaning they'd be all set to depart in fifteen minutes. In the meantime, the various mages were all chatting and loading their stuff onto the boat, their hearts all racing in what would undoubtedly be a life-altering Trial._

" _Alright, Happy," cheered Natsu, raising his fists in the air, "When we get there, I'm gonna do all the fighting! But I'll need you to help me navigate around the island. You'll be my eyes in the sky, pal!"_

" _Aye, sir!" the blue Exceed nodded._

" _Natsu-nii!"_

_A young boy came rushing at the pink-haired Dragon Slayer. He was only about six, with dark purple hair and a Fairy Tail mark emblazoned on his shirt._

" _Oi, Romeo!" Natsu knelt down. "You come to see us off?"_

" _I came to see you off, Natsu-nii!" the boy nodded, "I know you'll make S-Class for sure!"_

" _He wouldn't sit still all morning," Macao stated, following shortly behind his son. He was hunched over as he walked, periodically letting out small yawns. "I had to keep reminding him you wouldn't even be_ meeting _here now."_

_Natsu grinned. He reached out and ruffled the boy's hair. "Well, no worries! I'm gonna make S-Class for sure!" He jammed his thumb into his chest._

_A snort, followed by a chuckle, sounded in the air. "Yeah right, Flame Brain."_

_The Fire Dragon Slayer's facial expression did a complete one-eighty. He stood back up and spun around, eyes and fists burning at his rival. "Oh yeah, Popsicle? Like I'd ever lose to you!"_

" _You do just about every day!" Gray grinned._

" _HA! Prove it!"_

" _Alright!" The Ice-Make Mage smirked, positioning his hands to summon one of his creations._

_Natsu grinned, sucking in a sharp intake of breath._

" _Ice-Make-GAHK!"_

" _Fire Dragon's-KHYAAGH!"_

" _No fighting!" Erza declared, reeling back both her fists from knocking the prospective Trial-goers' lights out, "Especially not so close to the ship we're renting." She turned to the flame mage, sticking a finger into his chest. "Natsu, you were pointing right at it! You could've burned the whole thing down!"_

* * *

**X784β 12. 16. 07:36:43AM**

**Hargeon Port;**

The memory warmed Romeo's heart. It was the last time he ever spoke to his idol, the last time he got to see that mop of spiky pink hair and hear that cheerful voice. But very soon, that would no longer be the case. The new version of him existing in this timeline will get to learn magic alongside his hero!

(Granted, he's not too sure on the viability of learning Dragon Slayer Magic from a non-dragon, so his new self may still need to go the route of Rainbow Flames.)

All that needed to happen was for this plan to work. He'll admit it's not the greatest plan he's ever come up with. But if all went the way he hoped, his hero would be saving him yet again!

All of the S-Class mages that resided in Fairy Tail at this time were already there. Erza, Mira, Gildarts, and Master Makarov. He gasped upon seeing them again, though he already knew they'd be there. Still, the fact that he was seeing them once again made him want to run out there and hug them. Speak to them. Have proof that they're really _real._

But they weren't "real" yet, he had to remind himself. Not really. Not yet. Right now, it was more like they were a re-run of a show he'd already seen before. And unless he acted now, their finale would be coming _very_ soon.

Besides, though he was ecstatic to see them again, their presence still presented a huge problem for him. Namely that if any of them caught him, his whole plan was toast. Erza was especially a problem here, since his whole plan hinged on her not being there when Natsu and Gray have their fight.

Luckily, he knew just how to lure her away.

He pulled out his lighter, igniting the flame and expanding it to roughly the size of a soccer ball. Pouring a little more magic into it, the color shifted from its standard orange to more of a bright yellow. Normally, he reserved his _**Yellow Flare**_ for creating foul-smelling stink bombs, but that didn't mean it didn't have other applications.

A sweet aroma wafted in the air. He'd specifically chosen a hiding spot from which the S-Class group would be downwind of him, meaning that the scent was bound to reach them fairly quickly.

And sure enough, it did. Like a meerkat popping its head from a hole, Erza's head jutted around in a rapid search for the smell's origin.

"That fragrance," she spoke, getting the attention of the other S-Class Mages. She took in a deep whiff of air before her eyes started glowing like a child's. "Why, that has to be the sweetest-smelling strawberry cake I've ever smelt!"

Mira tilted her head, taking a small sniff as well. "Oh, yeah. That does smell kind of good." She smiled a sickly-sweet smile. "Too bad you can't have any, Erza. Since we're about to leave for the Trial and all."

Erza glared. "Please! I'll be there and back in no time at all!"

"You sure about that? Your armor already weighs you down as-is." The Demon grinned. "Do you _really_ want to throw some extra weight on top of that?"

"Now, now, settle down," Makarov interjected. He turned to the Requip Mage. "You sure you'll be able to make it back here quickly?"

The redhead slammed her fist over her heart. "Of course!" she hollered, "Given the direction that the scent is coming from, it has to be from Bertucci's. I can get there and back in less than ten minutes with my _**Flight Armor.**_ "

The old man sighed. "Very well. But do hurry."

Erza nodded. "Thank you, Master!"

A bright light shimmered around her body. When it faded, her normal attire had been replaced with a rather revealing cheetah-patterned armor, making all the boys in the premises (Romeo included) blush when looking at it. "I'm off!" she said as she flew down the road.

Romeo immediately dispersed his scented flame. Tucking himself further into the alley to not be seen, he watched the redhead rush by. With this, his plan should fall into place. His younger self will be here in a few moments, prompting Natsu to gloat, Gray to antagonize him, and then Natsu to accidentally destroy the ship set to take them to Tenrou.

It was a rental ship, which he knew Makarov had to get a hold of weeks in advance. With it gone, it'll delay the Trials to far beyond Grimoire Heart's attack and Acnologia's appearance.

He wasn't too fond of letting the enemy succeed in whatever plans they're concocting, but for now, it seemed like it'd have to be a necessary evil. Fairy Tail won't stop them now, but he was sure their downfall was inevitable.

The boy peered back out of the alley. All he had to do was let things take their course from here, and all should be set right.

He watched as more long-lost faces approached the ship. Natsu and Happy were talking, Elfman and Evergreen were bickering like an old married couple, Freed and Bickslow were looking on in pity, Levy was formulating a victory strategy while Gajeel wasn't listening, Loke was helping an already naked Gray find his clothes, Juvia and Lisanna were watching the whole fiasco, and Lucy was off to the side comforting Cana. Aside from the Card Mage's unusual demeanor, the sight brought a sense of nostalgia to Romeo. He felt a missing piece of himself fall back into place as the corners of his lips twitched upwards.

But that feeling was crushed the moment that _he_ appeared.

The traitor himself, and the one Romeo liked to believe was the inciting incident for all of this mess. Doranbolt may not have been the ones to _cause_ the S-Class group's deaths, but he and his damned Magic Council were certainly the ones to leave them all to die. What Romeo wouldn't give to go punch the lying bastard in the face and expose him for the fraud he is. But once again, he had to restrain himself. Especially considering if the Rune Knight found out Romeo knew his true identity, he may just take it upon himself to erase the boy's memories, and who knows what other memories could go as well.

No, interacting with the Memory Mage in any way was too high a risk. His memories were far too valuable to him, and he refused to let that asshole tamper with them _again._

Romeo let out a fiery breath. ' _Stick to the plan at all costs,'_ he told himself, ' _ **Nothing**_ _can get in the way.'_

Just then, a head of blue hair caught his eye. It took him a second, but he soon realized the person he was looking at was Wendy Marvell, that new (chronologically speaking) girl who'd only been in the guild for a few months. She looked different, somehow. Cuter, maybe? Livelier than he remembered?

But if it were something like that, why did it _hurt_ to look at her? Like just seeing her put an ache in his heart.

Maybe it wasn't because of a change in her, but rather, a change in _him._ He was the same age as her now; he'd lived just as much life as she had to this point, if just a little more. And it was from knowing this that he knew she had so much life _left_ to live that she'd never get to. The very thought of her dying so young put pain in his chest like he couldn't believe.

He tightened his fist. His plan _will_ work. It was only a matter of moments now.

"Alright, Happy," Romeo heard Natsu's voice call, "You know the plan! When we get out there, I'm doing the fighting! But I'll need you to scout the island for me? Can you do that, pal!"

"Aye sir!" the blue cat cheered.

Romeo's head cocked to the side. ' _That's… not what he said last time. Did I remember it wrong?'_ He shook his head. ' _No, no. I remember it clearly. He tells Happy, "You'll be my eyes in the sky" before he responds, "Aye sir!"'_ His eyes scanned the surrounding harbor. ' _And then I come to see them off.'_

Charcoal orbs darted around the area his younger self and father _should_ be arriving from. Yet as he continued searching, not a soul could be seen approaching the dock.

Worry started to set in. His fingers tapped rapidly against the brick of the building he hid behind. Was it possible his mere _presence_ in the past has already caused unforeseen deviations to the original timeline? He'd taken into account every other variable in this little equation, but the one he seems to have forgotten to account for was _himself_. His knowledge of the past may as well be for naught now. If the original chain of events that took place here has already been broken, then he may as well be working with the same amount of foresight as a man in the present trying to predict the future.

" _Gods dammit!"_ he whisper-screamed, slamming his fist into the building before quickly recoiling. The boy half-expected his flames to be shielding the punch as normal, so when he found himself without them, he also found that punching an ordinary fist into a solid brick wall _fucking HURT!_

Letting out a huff of air, Romeo looked over the injured hand. He definitely didn't break it, but he still cut up his fingers pretty bad, and there would definitely be some bruising.

Sighing, he stretched it out to his side. "Chelia, do you mi… oh…" Both his hand and face dropped in realization. Grunting again, his head jerked back forward. "Right _. Nevermind_."

The fire mage clenched his fists. He'd come this far, and there was _no way_ he was going to back down now! If he couldn't _get_ the ship to be destroyed, then he'd destroy it _himself!_

He never planned to stay, anyway.

Grabbing the lighter, he snuck toward the ship. Time was the enemy at the moment; he had no doubts Erza was already on her way back and would _definitely_ spot him out in the open. The S-Class group would also spot him easily if he just walked up to them. They'd catch him, make him spill what he knows, and the fools would run right off to their deaths.

Romeo stepped over to the edge of the docks. If just waltzing over on land wouldn't cut it, he'd have to go by water. He was a few peers down from where the ship was docked, so it wouldn't be too difficult a swim.

He dove straight into the waters. Having lived near the coastline his whole life, he was a decent enough swimmer to remain underwater undetected. If he needed air, he'd simply surface beneath one of the piers before diving right back under.

He could've given himself some air by creating a _**Purple Flare: Bubble**_ around his head. Purple flames were water-resistant, and since the lighter he was using was powered by lacrima, it would work somewhat under the sea. The only issue with that idea was that, while theoretically _possible_ , even with his now-limited magic, it would still be a pain in the ass to accomplish. Plus, he wanted to save his magic for when the real show began.

Besides, it was unnecessary. The boy made it all the way to the dock the Tenrou group's ship was parked on without needing to surface once, only coming up for air under there because he knew he'd need it for this final stretch.

That, and he wanted to hear his friend's voices one last time. He prayed the new Romeo who took his place would be happy with the time he would have with them, laughing, growing, and becoming an even better mage than he was.

His hands shook beneath the water. With that bittersweet thought in mind, he dove back under.

The boy kept swimming downward until he reached the bottom of the ship, where he pulled out his lighter. Flicking it open, he focused all his magic on the created spark to keep it alive and bend it to his will. Said spark grew and grew, turning green in the process as the flames melted away at the bottom of the ship. Romeo made sure to spread them around a little, intending to use them to create a new entrance into the ship. Sure, just making a hole in the ship would sink it easily, but that would only delay his friend's for a day if Juvia and Laki had anything to say about it; no, he wouldn't be satisfied until this boat has been completely and utterly destroyed.

After weakening the wood enough, Romeo started punching his way through. Splinters embedded themselves in his fingers, but the ship's boards eventually gave way to his efforts. It didn't take long for him to make a hole big enough for him to climb through. Putting away the lighter, he grabbed the edges of the ship's "new entrance" and pulled himself in.

Finally inside, he looked down to admire his handiwork. The hole he made was already starting to leak in a decent amount of water, but it wouldn't be near quick enough for what he needed. He needed to incinerate this ship quickly.

And while his trusty little lighter would certainly help, the conniving Fire Mage had a much _bigger_ idea in mind.

The boy made his way through the ship. He knew that boats like these, meant for long voyages, held heating and cooling lacrima that could control the entire ship's temperature, even the outside. Not the latter lacrima wasn't something he cared much for, but the former he could certainly work with.

He opened the door to the temperature control room. In front of him stood a large machine with red and blue lacrima embedded into it, sending out gentle waves of magical energy to regulate the ship's climate.

Focusing his own magic onto the red lacrima, Romeo felt the ship's temperature steadily rising. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he drew out all of the power held within the crystal. He could hear the boat creaking already, parts of it catching flame and burning away at the interior. Romeo latched onto those flames as well, turning them an acidic green and growing them even more.

Smoke filled the cabin. The boy's forehead was now drenched, and he could feel his body growing woozy. A terrible cough ripped at his throat, forcing him down onto his knees as he tried to remain focused. Loud thuds and cracks rang out above his head, a sign that his flames were doing their job and tearing this dreaded vessel apart. Through blurry vision, he saw his flames approaching him.

Romeo could feel it. He didn't fully understand it, but he could tell; the world he had come from would be no more. With this, his friends' lives would continue on. Scratchy, dry chuckles echoed were nearly smothered by the roar of flames as tears leaked out of his eyes.

The flames were closer now. Any second now, be it by his own hands or the hands of time, he'd be no more. But his friends were now safe, and that's all that mattered.

That was all that mattered, wasn't it?

So then why did he feel such an _emptiness_ over it?

The laughter came to a halt. The boy's body swayed greatly before collapsing onto the floor of the ship. He was to the point where he could barely keep his eyes open anymore. All he could do was make vain, raspy attempts for breath.

More cracks and groans screeched through the ship's halls. Romeo felt the wood beneath him grow unstable, and before his flames could reach him, the floor gave way. Next thing he knew, his whole body had been submerged in water, sinking to the depths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Romeo's plan has succeeded! The Tenrou group's ship is no more!
> 
> So to explain Romeo's plan a little more simply, for those of you who have seen X-Men: Days of Future Past, he was basically trying to do that. He was slipping his present-day mind back in time to possess his past self's body, and he used the magic containers of his present self and past self to establish the "link" that he'd use to do this. But of course, this all went haywire when Chelia attacked the Eclipse Gate, meaning he had to improvise.
> 
> And now that things have gone haywire, the Magic Council and Royal Family have both taken notice of him, and it seems like past events have already started changing without his (direct) influence. Wonder how this will all play out.
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please be sure to leave kudos and a comment! And I hope to see you all next time!


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